• 1970s • 9900 Views • Comments Off on Automatic (Washing Machine) for the People

We’ve often thought that bath time needs a makeover and whilst every other household gadget has been automated, speeded-up, become incredibly user-friendly and has moved forward into the digital age, the humble bath has never really changed and is still much the same as it was in Roman times. Well it seems we’re a bit behind the curve on this one because our Japanese cousins have not only been thinking similar thoughts but they were doing it over 40 years ago. Ladies and gentlemen we present for your soapy pleasure – the Ultrasonic Bath – an idea that is too far ahead of its time now let alone back in 1970.

It seems those ingenious Japanese designers come up with some of their best ideas in the bath and this must have been a real light bulb moment. Ultrasonic cleaning is often used on jewellery, by watchmakers and in the electronics industry and uses water combined with a cleaning solvent which are then agitated using high-frequency pressure waves to produce cavitation bubbles which then remove contamination from dirty surfaces.

The Sanyo Ultrasonic Bath took these principles and created a bath for people who were too lazy to wash themselves. It was stood atop a wide column (which presumably held the ultrasonic gubbins) some six feet off the ground, you set the controls, made sure all was at the right temperature and climbed in to enjoy the ultimate bathing experience as the ultrasonic waves foamed your favourite bubble bath and those mysterious cavitation bubbles cleaned you to within an inch of your life. We believe it then drained the water out and dried you too because we would not be too comfortable about climbing out of a bath perched six feet up covered in soap and water to then find a towel but we’re sure those far-sighted Japanese designers had already thought of that. Quite why it never took off we don’t know but if its time does come round again remember where you read about it first.